ipad
Computers, iPads, and other computers
An interesting take by Matthias Breuer on what we call a “computer” these days:
[W]hat makes a device a “real computer” is not its day-to-day versatility. It is the ability to write your own apps and even extend, modify or replace the underlying operating system on the device itself - which requires a
podcast
The BirchTree Podcast #42: Tech I'm thankful for this year
A quick look back on some of the tech that I am thankful to have this year.
* Nintendo Switch
* Ulysses
* Swift
* OmniFocus
* Logitech MX Master 2S
* Apple Watch Series 3 LTE
My thanks to MDM Deals for sponsoring BirchTree this week! MDM Deals helps you find fantastic deals on fantastic apps & movies. As a
Android
What is a computer?
I saw the below two videos today and they both really struck me by how these videos are evangelizing different products, but they’re saying the exact same thing: computers ain’t what they used to be.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YM-lMtBN8M
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQB2NjhJHvY
I think smartphones
Pixel Buds and Google’s own reality distortion field
Reviews for Google’s Pixel Buds hit the web this week and the reviews are actually pretty middling. People seem to like the sound quality and pairing process1, but they’re less enthused about the charging case and translation feature.
So if reviewers are not fawning over the Pixel Buds, what is this article about?
ios
Just how fast is “faster wireless charging” in iOS 11.2?
NOTE: Samsung's "Fast Charge" charging pad does not have any hard numbers I can find that indicates how much power it will provide. The below findings display a notable change from previous testing of wireless charging I've done. I'll update this article if I can get more
podcast
The BirchTree Podcast #41: Third party software on Android
It's still terrible, even through the operating system itself has gotten better over the years. Here's the list I mention in the episode of apps I have not been able to replace yet.
* Apple News
* Files
* Reddit
* OmniFocus
* HomeKit
* Ulysses
* Mic
* Scanbot Never mind, Scanbot exists for Android!
* Television Time
* Tweetbot
Links
RSS Still has a Place
David Sparks on why he still uses RSS:
As social networks took off, a lot of my friends that were previously big RSS fans gave up on the technology and instead relied upon sources like Twitter and Facebook to get their news.
…and then…
That only works if you go into Twitter much more frequently
Android
Android’s Notification Management Crushes iOS
There are many things about Android that bother me, but one area where Google has done a fantastic job is in creating a great experience when you swipe down to look at your notifications. This experience really outclasses what iOS 11 has today, and it’s something Apple’s product people should really be looking
pixel
The Google Pixel 2 Case (mini review)
Google is really going all in this year with fabric designs, and their official Pixel 2 case runs with this aesthetic as well. There are 4 designs for this one, and I of course went with the weirdest one. I’ve been told it looks like a sock and I actually don’t disagree with
We’re Just Doing Data Entry for Google
André Staltz:
Isn’t GOOG trying to guarantee the open Web stays alive? Not necessarily. GOOG’s goal is to gather as much rich data as possible, and build AI. Their mission is to have an AI provide timely and personalized information to us, not specifically to have websites provide information. Any GOOG concerted efforts
Android
3 Android Oreo Features I Really Love
Despite all of the issues I’m having with Android right now (more on this later, but follow me on Twitter for live updates) there actually are some things that I really love about Android and I wanted to talk about them briefly before I dive into them for the full review coming soon.
Always
podcast
The BirchTree Podcast #40: Face ID and changing your engrained habits
I don't have an iPhone X yet, but I've been talking to a lot of people who do and had to take today's episode to talk about Face ID, how our habits change, and what I expect we'll see in Face ID 2.0.
Subscribe to The
How the Pixel 2 and iPhone 8 Plus handle bright and dark colors
The Google Pixel 2 is sporting a 5 inch OLED display, and the iPhone 8 Plus has a 5.5 inch IPS LCD display. They both have a resolution of 1080x1920 and have generally been praised by critics for their quality. I’d agree with those assessments, as both of these phone look very nice.
iphone
What happens when you try to charge your iPhone wired and wirelessly at the same time?
On Tuesday night the Verge tweeted out this clip about whether or not you can charge your iPhone 8 faster by plugging it into the wall and also placing it on a wireless charging pad.
https://twitter.com/circuitbreaker/status/925464914369462272
They didn’t answer the question in the clip, but other news outlets have